Despite a significant snow expected, Duke takes on Boston College in an ACC matchup on Saturday.
Duke may have lost coach Mike Krzyzewski for at least a month due to back surgery, but they brought back All-American guard Grayson Allen from an indefinite suspension where he missed one game. Allen scored 15 points in 27 minutes in the Blue Devils, 110-57 win over Georgia tech on Wednesday from Durham. Boston College is coming off a 79-66 road loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday. Last season, the Eagles fell to Duke at home, 81-64 in their one meeting. Both teams are 1-1 in the ACC when they meet on Saturday from Chestnut Hill.
While Allen has had his ups and downs this season, sophomore guard Luke Kennard has been the team’s best player. Kennard is averaging 21 points per game and 5.9 rebounds, and scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the blowout of the Yellow Jackets. Freshman Jayson Tatum (6-8, 205) led the way with 19 points, two blocks, and four assists. Freshman Harry Giles (6-10, 240) had his best game since debuting due to a knee injury. He had 10 points and 12 rebounds, all career-highs against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 16-of-31 (51.6%) from beyond the arc. They also outrebounded the Yellow Jackets by 18. They held Georgia Tech to just 34.9 percent shooting from the field and 2-of-14 from the three-point line.
Duke averages 84.7 points per game and shoots 48.4 percent from the field. They rank 19th in rebound margin at +8.1. They allow 63.3 points per game and 40.1 percent from the field (29.2% 3PT). Tatum, who has played just seven games, ranks second on the team in scoring with 16.3 points and second in rebounds with 7.3 per game. Allen is averaging 15.9 points per game and shooting just 39.3 percent from the field.
Boston College opened ACC play with a 96-81 win over Syracuse on January 1. Two days later, they traveled down to Winston-Salem to face Wake Forest and fell by 13. The Eagles were outrebounded by 13 and allowed the Demon Deacons to shoot 47.4 percent from the field and 6-of-15 from beyond the arc. Jerome Robinson led the Eagles with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Ky Bowman added 14 points but shot just 3-of-15 from the field and 1-of-8 from the three-point line. The Eagles shot a pitiful 5-of-30 (16.7%) from the three-point line and 36.2 percent from the field overall.
Robinson, a 6-5 sophomore guard, leads B.C. with 20.6 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting and 39.7 percent from beyond the arc. He’s scored 20 or more points in six straight games. Robinson also averages 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He has had an issue with turnovers, committing 48 in 15 games. Guard Ky Bowman adds 11.9 points and is shooting 49.6 percent from the field. Defensively, the Eagles are still not, where they need to be. They are allowing 72.7 points per game but they do defend the three well (29.9%). They also shoot the ball well from deep (38.5%) and overall (45.4%).
Notables:
- Grayson Allen
- Nothing more to say other than what has been covered above
- New Boss at the Helm But Will There be Much Difference
- This will be the first game without Mike Krzyzewski on the bench as he steps away to recover from lower back surgery being conducted today. That means associate head coach Jeff Capel will take the reins of the Blue Devils. The way the Blue Devils react to not having their stalwart leader on the bench will be key.
- Ball Movement
- Ball movement has been a focal point for the Blue Devils after running into problems earlier in the year. Duke had 24 assists against Georgia Tech, and moved the ball exceptionally well. BC will need to adjust.
Endgame
Duke should be able to run away with this game against Boston College, there are many things that are aligning for Duke at the right time. The main chess pieces are healthy and I am certain this team will rally around Coach Jeff Capel in his first head coaching stint this year for Coach K. I expect to see a very loose team playing in Cameron and look for increased minutes for both Harry Giles and Marques Bolden.
Jeff Capel said just yesterday that he did not see stepping in for Coach K as pressure but rather an opportunity, but he also does not see it as an audition. He has been an integral cog in the Duke machine for years and although he has ideas of his own, I would not expect too much of a departure from K’s style and game plan.
Given the pluses and minuses of both teams, I feel that Duke is far superior to BC. I do not expect a letdown from Wednesday night’s demolition of Georgia Tech though I will trim the number of points scored and the margin, 90-70.
